Skip to main content

Doherty, Andrea

Andrea Doherty

Full time PhD student

Email: adoherty33@qub.ac.uk

Year of Entry: 2009

Thesis Title: Vygotsky and Play: A Critical Exploration of Theory into Practice

Summary of Research:

My research focuses on Vygotsky’s Cultural-Historical theory in relation to children learning and development.  Working collaboratively with an early years unit (preschool-P2), I have selected, adapted and implemented two strategies from Golden Key schools.  These schools were formed in Russia and are based entirely on Vygotskian theory.  Mixed-age play and enhanced home-school links were both deemed appropriate for implementation in the Northern Ireland context and, more specifically, within the case study school.  My thesis focuses on two aspects regarding this implementation, namely the process of implementation of each strategy in the real context, and the outcomes of each strategy in the new context.

Supervisors: Dr Karen Kerr